Food for Agile Thought #251: Software Factory Syndrome, Product Discovery, Contemporary Product Leadership, Future Press Release 2.0
Food for Agile Thought #251: Software Factory Syndrome, Product Discovery, Contemporary Product Leadership, Future Press Release 2.0

Food for Agile Thought #251: Software Factory Syndrome, Product Discovery, Contemporary Product Leadership, Future Press Release 2.0


TL; DR: Software Factory Syndrome, Product Discovery — Food for Agile Thought #251

Welcome to the 251st edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 26,781 peers. 

This week, we analyze the software factory syndrome; we apply Jocko Willink’s leadership principles to writing software, and we point at the elephant in the #noestimates room.

We then follow a CEO’s take on the importance of empowerment of product teams; we check the approach of a cross-functional team’s real-world collaboration model, and we learn about the next version of the future press release concept for (product) risk mitigation.

Lastly, we thank Jeff Patton for providing another helpful free ebook on how to figure out what is worth building. Spoiler alert: 85-plus percent of all startups get this wrong.

Did you miss last week’s Food for Agile Thought’s issue #250?

Do you want to get this article in your inbox? You can sign up here and join 26k other subscribers.


?? The Tip of the Week


?? Jeff Patton: Product Discovery Recipes

Jeff Patton shares a free 20-page PDF on how to figure out what is worth building.

Source: ?? Product Discovery Recipes

Author: Jeff Patton


No alt text provided for this image

Agile, Scrum & the Software Factory Syndrome


Software Factory to Feature Factory

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick delve into the Taylorist’s mindset and the resulting unfavorable outcome.

Source: Software Factory to Feature Factory


Inger Dickson (via ThoughtWorks): ‘No Estimates’ is not the (only) Answer or: Moving towards Predictability

Inger Dickson points at the obvious: there are stakeholders with questions that need answers.

Source: ThoughtWorks: ‘No Estimates’ is not the (only) Answer or: Moving towards Predictability

Author: Inger Dickson


Payne C. Miller (via The Startup): Extreme Ownership for Software Engineering

Payne C. Miller applies Jocko Willink’s leadership rules to software development.

Source: The Startup: Extreme Ownership for Software Engineering

Author: Payne C. Miller


?? ?? Remote Agile Training from August 18 to September 1, 2020 — € 167

The Distributed Agile Masterclass addresses remote practices and tools for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, project managers, and Product Owners on how to facilitate agile events with distributed teams effectively.

The Remote Agile training class is organized in three blocks of 2.5 hours each over two weeks.

No alt text provided for this image

Terms and conditions apply.

Looking for a different date? Back to the training schedule.

?? ?? ?? Learn moreDistributed Agile Masterclass — A Live Virtual Class.


No alt text provided for this image

If you prefer a notification by email, please sign-up for my weekly newsletter and join 26,781 peers.


Product & Lean


Janna Bastow (via ProdPad): Product Leadership: Autonomy, Alignment, and Psychological Safety

Janna Bastow shares her take on contemporary product leadership by empowering teams.

Source: ProdPad: Product Leadership: Autonomy, Alignment, and Psychological Safety

Author: Janna Bastow


John Cutler: Developer & Designer Collaboration (in the Real World)

John Cutler shares the approach of a real-world collaboration model of a cross-functional team.

Source: Developer & Designer Collaboration (in the Real World)

Author: John Cutler


Jeff Gothelf (via Medium): Working Backwards: A New Version Of Amazon’s “Press Release” Approach To Plan Customer-Centric Projects

Jeff Gothelf iterates on future press release approach to risk mitigation for product launches.

Source: Medium: Working Backwards: A New Version Of Amazon’s “Press Release” Approach To Plan Customer-Centric Projects

Author: Jeff Gothelf


?? Speaking Truth to Power 2.0 — Taking A Stand as an Agile Practitioner

Do you need an emergency fund as a change agent — whether you are acting as Scrum Master, Product Owner, or agile coach — because conflict is inevitable, but change is not? Speaking truth to power probably comes at a price.

In my experience, speaking truth to power, pointing at the emperor’s new clothes and the reality in the trenches, is necessary a trait for every change agent — including Scrum Masters and agile coaches — in organizations that lack strong leadership.

Learn more, how this form of professional honesty can backfire when the incumbents, privileged by the existing system, strike back.

No alt text provided for this image

Read moreSpeaking Truth to Power 2.0 — Taking A Stand as an Agile Practitioner.


??? Last Week’s Food for Agile Thought Edition

Read moreFood for Agile Thought #250: JTBD Guide, Good Retrospectives, Opportunity Mapping, Always Feature Teams, Right?.


?? Join 2,300-plus Agile Peers on Youtube

Now available on the Age-of-Product Youtube channel:


? Do Not Miss Out: Join the 7,850-plus Strong ‘Hands-on Agile’ Slack Community

I invite you to join the “Hands-on Agile” Slack Community and enjoy the benefits of a fast-growing, vibrant community of agile practitioners from around the world.

If you like to join all you have to do now is provide your credentials via this Google form, and I will sign you up. By the way, it’s free.


?? Do You Want to Read more like this?

Well, then:

Food for Agile Thought #251: Software Factory Syndrome, Product Discovery, Contemporary Product Leadership, Future Press Release 2.0 was first published on Age-of-Product.com.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了